Schaffhausen faces three first degree murder charges as he is accused of murdering his children, 11-year-old Amara,8-year-old Sophie and 5-year-old Cecilia while he was visiting them in their home with their mother's permission two weeks ago.

The girls' mother, Schaffhausen's ex-wife Jessica Schaffhausen, was at work during the visit but gave Aaron permission to be there.

The girls were being babysat that day by Fallon Moore.
Moore testified on Tuesday during Schaffhausen's preliminary hearing that she was at the house the day of the killings, when Aaron Schaffhausen arrived to visit them.

"They were very happy to see their father," Moore said when asked of the girls' mood when their father arrived.

Moore said she left the house 15 minutes after Aaron Schaffhausen arrived because Jessica told her by phone she could.

Aaron lived in North Dakota but told Jessica he was in St. Paul that day for work when he called her asking if he could drop in to see the kids.

Aaron and Jessica were recently divorced.

The state also called a River Falls Police Department receptionist, Ailene Splittgerber, to the stand on Tuesday, she took the chilling phone call from Jessica Schaffhausen on the afternoon of July 10th.

Splittgerber said during much of that 40 minute phone call Jessica Schaffhausen was beside herself. "Hysterical, hyper ventilating, very much in distress," Splittgerber described.

She testified that Jessica Schaffhausen called to tell police to go to her home, because she believed the defendant, had killed her 3 girls.

"She stated her ex husband had called her and told her that he had killed the children and that she could come home," Splittgerber said.

Aaron Schaffhausen will stand trial for the killing of his kids.

His next court appearance is August 28.

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